The unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, has brought into question the use of military vehicles by local police departments.

Advertisement

You might not realize it, but those armored vehicles are also part of the police departments in Vermont and New York.

Vermont and New York State Police along with the Plattsburgh Police Department, all have some sort of military vehicle.

Vermont State Police used theirs as recently as this week.

Law enforcement will tell you they use the armored vehicles for protection in hostile situations, but there are some who say their presence hinders the effectiveness of community policing.

“I don't understand the case for local police having those at all. It just doesn't make any sense to me,” Vermont ACLU Executive Director Allen Gilbert said.

Gilbert is talking about armored vehicles that were used by the U.S. military now in the hands of state and local police departments.

It's something he doesn't think any civilian force needs.

“It's the shock and awe and intimidation that I don't think is really part of what really good community policing is all about,” Gilbert added.

Police in Ferguson also have a mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle known as an MRAP. that's what they're using to address the unrest following the police shooting of teenager Michael Brown.

These former military vehicles usually come to local departments by way of a grant after they've been used overseas.

“You know what I hope? I hope it sits in a spot and we never use it,” Plattsburgh Police Chief Desmond Racicot said.

But they did use it.

Plattsburgh police brought out their MRAP to protect officers during the initial investigation of a murder suicide in February.

“We didn't know if that person was going to be alive, aggressive, threatening,” Racicot said.

Vermont State Police and New York State Police both have armored vehicles too. VSP used their Bearcat just this week during a suicidal situation in Duxbury.

The Clinton County Sheriff has an armored Humvee. They used it at a standoff in Altoona in 2012.

“I think now people are beginning to realize when you give local police military equipment, military clothing, military weapons they start acting or seeming to act like the military and I think most people would agree that's not a good thing. Local police are not a military force,” Gilbert said.

“If someone came to me today and said, 'we're going to give you a vehicle that looks like an oversized soccer mom's minivan' that was armored that I could use to get close to a situation with a weapon, we'd take it,” Racicot said.

Vermont State Police didn't have any information on how often they use their vehicles but did say they got their Bearcat in 2011 and just got their MRAP in February of this year.

The Burlington Police Department does not have any armored military vehicles.